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Located in the town of Preuilly, Domaine Joseph Mellot is one of the leaders in the Loire Valley. The Mellot dynasty was founded in Sancerre in 1513 by Pierre-Etienne Mellot. In fact, in 1698, César Mellot was entrusted with the task of advising King Louis XIV on his choice of wines. Throughout the years, generation upon generation has continued to enrich and perfect the family's winemaking skills.

In 1984, Alexandre Mellot succeeded his father, Joseph, and took over the family estate. Under Alexandre, the vineyard was expanded, and the winery was modernized.

In 1999, Alexandre took over Jean-Michel Sorbe’s estate, further expanding the Mellot family’s properties. After devoting 30 years to developing the reputation of the Quincy and Reuilly appellations, Jean-Michel had retired. His children had already chosen to follow other paths, and, given his partnership with the Mellot family since 1988, he handed his estate over to Alexandre Mellot.

Following the untimely death of Alexandre in 2005, his wife, Catherine Corbeau Mellot, took over the domaine. She continues her husband’s work, and her attention to detail and flair for winemaking have led the Joseph Mellot estate to greater success.

The domaine is well-respected for the consistent quality of its wines and has seen significant growth since the 1980s. At that time, it covered 50 hectares with precious plots located on the best hillsides. Now it has doubled its size, with more than 100 hectares (247 acres) under vine & extended into some of the great appellations of the Centre-Loire, such as Pouilly-Fumé, Ménetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly and Coteaux-du-Giennois.
The varietals produced are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. The emphasis is on Reuilly and Quincy, with Coteaux du Giennois as an emerging region:

• Reuilly: grainy sand, fairly light soils with a clay subsoil.
  The Reuilly A.O.C. was founded in 1939. The vineyards measure 150 hectares (370.50 acres). The grapes grown are Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir. Reuilly was once known for a vin Gris de Pinot Noir, which today is 15% of the area's production.
• Quincy: 2 parcels are planted on alluvial deposits (sand and gravel from the beginning of the quaternary period); 1 parcel has a higher clay content with the presence of lacustrine limestone on the surface.
  The Quincy appellation was founded in 1936 and measures 200 hectares (494 acres). It is the second oldest A.O.C. in France after Châteauneuf du Pape. The appellation almost disappeared as a wine after World War II, but today is staging a comeback with new blood and new plantings. The vineyards lie around and between two towns, Quincy and Brinay. Quincy is a A.O.C. on the move and its A.O.C. status only applies to white wines, not red or rosé.
• The Coteaux du Giennois A.O.C. was unknown a few years ago, but it is now an appellation to watch thanks to the care provided by Joseph Mellot. The Coteaux du Giennois vineyards measure 160 hectares (395.2 acres) composed of siliceous-clay soil in the northern part and Kimmeridgian marl in the south.

Mellot was the first French Domaine in the Central Loire to obtain ISO 14001 certification for growing its vines using sustainable agriculture.

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